Merchandise-transfer system.



G. MACAR'I'NEY.

MERCHANDISE TRANSFER SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 14. 1909.

945,562. Patented Jan/1, 1910.

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/17 TOR/VE V8 UNITEB STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE MACARTNEY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

MERCHANDISE-TRANSFER SYSTEM.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MACARTNEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved h/Ierchandise-Transfer System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a system for transferring merchandise, freight or the like from one car to another at the transfer station.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient system at the transfer station, which may be easily operated with the least loss of time, and which cannot easily become congested.

The invention consists, generally speaking, of one or more unloading platforms,

with one or more railroad tracks located` adjacent thereto, and a plurality of loading platforms with railroad tracks located adjacent thereto, and with interconnecting miniature railroad tracks located adjacent to said loading and unloading platforms, the relative heights of the railroad and miniature railroad tracks and the platforms being so arranged that the floors of the cars on the various tracks will extend in substantially the same level as the floors of the adjacent platform.

The invention further consists in the construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly setpfortli in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of the system, 1 indicates an unloading platform, which may be considered to be a single platform divided into two parts by a railroad track 2.

3, 4, 5 and 6 indicate loading platforms, which are divided into two parts by miniature railroad tracks 7, 8, 9 and 10. Each of the miniature railroad tracks 7, 8, 9 and 10 extends to a loop 11, which runs around and adjacent to the platform 1, and has side rims, indicated by the numerals 12 and 13. Each of the tracks 7 8, 9 and 10 also has a direct return circuit to the runs 12 and 13 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 14, 1999.

Patented J an. 4, 1910.

Serial No. 507,501.

by means of tracks 14, 15, 16 and 17, respectively. The tracks 7, 8, 9 and 10 are also connected by means of branches 18 and 19, whereby an indirect circuit may be made from the unloading platform 1 to the loading platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6, and back to the unloading platform 1. The purpose of the indirect circuit is to provide means for relieving congestion which might occur on the direct circuit.

In order to make the circuit universal and connect the opposite sides of the unloading platform 1 with any of the loading platforms 3, 4 or 5, there are provided cross switch tracks 20 and 21.

Adjacent to each side of each of the loading platforms 3, 4, 5, and 6, there are provided ordinary railroad tracks, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29. On these tracks are run the ordinary freight cars or the like, indicated by the numeral 30.

lVhile I have shown buffers 31 opposite each of the tracks 22 to 29, these tracks may be extended through and be continuous railroad lines, instead of mere sidings.

On the miniature railroad tracks, there are provided miniature cars 32, which are preferably run by some suitable gasolene motor.

As shown in Fig. 2, the height of the railroad and miniature railroad tracks is so arranged adjacent to all the platforms that the floors of the railroad cars will extend at substantially the same level as the floor of the adjacent platform.

The method of operating the system will be readily understood from the above description. A railroad train containing mei'- chandise is run through on the track 2 to the platform l, where the merchandise is unloaded and loaded onto miniature railroad cars 32 on the tracks 12 and 13. In the meantime, empty or partially filled freight cars or the like have been run in adjacent to the platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the tracks 22 to 29. The miniature railroad cars are then run to the platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6 by means of their gasolene motors, and unloaded on these platforms, where the merchandise is loaded into the waiting trains on the tracks 22 to 29. rI`he unloaded miniature cars are returned either by the direct circuit, or, in case of congestion, by the indirect circuit, to the platform 1, for a fresh supply of merchandise. The miniature cars may be run out through either side of the platform 1 to any or all of the platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6, by

virtue of the cross switches 20 and 21, and L they may be also run out, if desired, in any direction on any of the circuits. There is thus provided a simple and efficient system, whereby merchandise, freight or the like may be readily and quickly handled and transferred from one train to another by means of a miniature railroad.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. ln a transfer system, the combination with one or more unloading platforms, of a plurality of loading platforms, railroad tracks juxtaposed to said platforms, cars on said tracks, miniature railroad tracks connecting said unloading platforms with said loading platforms, and miniature cars on said miniature railroad tracks, the height of said tracks and said )latforms being so arranged that the floors on said cars extend substantially at the same level as the floor of the adjacent platform.

2. In a transfer system, the combination with a plurality of platforms, of a plurality of various sized railroad cars, and a plurality of inversely elevated tracks for said Cars, adapted to bring the floors of` said cars on a level withthe floor of the adjacent 'tance from said first-mentioned platform and composed of a plurality of members, a railroad track running between said lastmentioned members, and independent surface railroad tracks disposed at different levels from said first-mentioned railroad track and connecting` said platforms and eX- tending alongside of the members thereof.

a. In a transfer' system, the combination with a plurality of railroad tracks disposed at different levels, of a plurality of platforms juxtaposed to said tracks, and a plurality of cars superposed on said tracks and having their floors extending on a level with the floors of said platforms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE MACARTNEY.

llfitnesses:

THOMAS J. HOGAN, ALVAH M. BULL. 

